One of the principal objects of telecommunication cross-connect jack panels is to provide front access to telecommunication circuits for temporary rerouting, repairing, and circuit monitoring. Generally, such rerouting, monitoring, and repairing functions are accomplished utilizing a coaxial patch cord that is temporarily inserted into a front access cross-connect jack on the front panel of the telecommunication terminal equipment.
One of the problems that occasionally occurred was the ease with which a coaxial plug of the patch cable could be dislodged from the front panel by vibration or inadvertent engagement by a telecommunication worker while passing by or while working on adjacent circuits.
One of the prior art solutions to such a problem is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. A telecommunication cross-connect module 10 having a front panel 12 with a plurality of front access apertures 14 is illustrated in FIG. 1. The module 10 has a back panel 16 that has bayonet-type rear coaxial connectors 18. The bayonet-type rear coaxial connectors 18 are illustrated in FIG. 1. The module 10 includes jacks 20 that may be specifically identified as IN jack 20a, OUT jack 20b, OUT CROSS-CONNECT jack 20c, IN CROSS-CONNECT jack 20d, and MONITOR jack 20e.
A standard plug 22 of a patch cable is illustrated in FIG. 2 in which the plug has a general body 24 with a sleeve 26 that is inserted into one of the jacks 20. The body 24 has a front shoulder 28 that engages a front face of a selected jack 20 in which the front face is flush with the front panel 12. The standard plug 22 has a rear shoulder 30 with a coaxial patch cable 32 extending therefrom.
The standard plug 22 is releasably held in the jack by releasable locking means generally identified with the numeral 36. Specifically, the locking means 36 of the prior art included a retainer spring clip 38 that is mounted to the front panel adjacent the front access apertures 14. Retainer spring clips 38 each include a bent shoulder element 42 and a tab 44. The bent shoulder element 42 is designed to engage the rear shoulder 30 of the plug 22 to hold the plug in the selected jack 20. The finger tab 44 enables the operator to push the bent shoulder element 42 from the rear shoulder 30 to enable the plug 22 to be intentionally removed from the selected jack 20. However, the retainer spring clip 38 normally securely holds and releasably locks the plug in the jack 20 to prevent inadvertent disengagement of the plug 22 from the selected jack 20.
Although the retainer spring clip 38 is reasonably effective, it projects from the front panel 12 enabling it to be easily damaged over time, and bent out of position. It is relatively easy for the clip to snag the garment of a telecommunication worker. Furthermore, the clip 38 gets in the way of easy insertion of the plug in adjacent modules.
Thus, one of the objectives of the invention is to provide a telecommunication jack and plug assembly with a releasable locking means that overcomes many of the problems associated with the retainer spring clip 38 which is presently fairly widely used.
These and other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment.